Chicken & Whatever’s-left-in-the-fridge Sauce

Is it just me, or are groceries getting more expensive by the week? Every time I am at checkout, I think it can’t get much worse. (But then it always does). Are you guys eating a lot of chicken lately, too? You might really like this recipe, if you are.

It doesn't help that it feels like it is a million degrees out today in Guadalajara. I mean HOT. The kind of hot where the limestone driveway tried to cook me as I walked the 5 feet from house to car. Needless to say, I did not feel like going anywhere at all if I could avoid it, even if my peeps would be hungry soon; even if it was slim pickings. I already knew it was going to be a work-with-what-you’ve-got type of meal when I opened the fridge. I had one cut up raw chicken, and a few lonely slices of bacon. Both yummy, but not quite “dinner.” Throw some white wine at it, though… some butter, some cream… ooh and some Dijon mustard… maybe those chives that are beginning to wilt… some fresh thyme… and a generous squeeze of that one lemon from the very back of the drawer? Now we’re in business. I love it when experiments turn out this great.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up

4 slices of bacon, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

Sea salt

1 cup white wine

1 cup water

A few sprigs of thyme

1 clove of garlic

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 TBSP flour

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup water

½ tsp sea salt, or to taste

1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1 TBSP butter

Juice of 1 lemon

Chopped chives

Directions:

Drizzle your chicken with olive oil and give it a sprinkling of sea salt. Roast at 400F till the skin is crispy and it registers 165F with an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook your bacon till crispy, and set aside on paper towels. Place your roasted chicken directly over the bacon fat, and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the water and thyme, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Place the cream, water, mustard, garlic, and flour into a blender, and blend till smooth.

Remove the chicken, but don't turn off the heat. Temper your sauce by placing some (a few ladles) of the simmering wine into the blended sauce, and stirring, before pouring it back into the pan (this is to keep it from lumping). Stir constantly. It will thicken as it boils. Add the lemon juice, butter, and the salt and pepper to taste.

When the sauce is right, return the chicken to the sauce, and garnish it all with the bacon and chives. We ate it with white rice, but mashed potatoes would also be delicious.

Enjoy!